Drum.



T. WILSUN.

DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED MAn.2a.1914.

Patented Jan. 29,191.19A

, 2 SHEETS-sneu l.

,/ l l y I T. WLSONI DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, I9I4.

1,254,375?, Y Patented Jan. 29,1918..

1 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

Massey v jv/m75# f/f y jm Wm f mf/@mr W i l i IED STATES PATENT iii-FFII).

TOM WILSON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLIN 01S, ASSIGNOR TO WILSON-JACQBS DRUM MANUFAC- TUBING- COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CRPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRUM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

riginal application led December 5, 1913, Serial No. 804,896. Divided and this application led March 23,

1914. Serial No. 826,800.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, TOM WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drums, of which the :following is a specification.

This application is a division of my former application Serial No. 804,896, filed December 5, 1913, and the purpose of this invention is to provide improved attachments for adjusting' the snares of a snare drum. One object of my invention is to provide means for adjusting a part of the snares 1nfle pendently of the others. Another object 1s to provide means for simultaneously adjusting all the snares and to provide a q uick release for mufHing the drum. Other objects will be set forth and made apparent in the following' specification, of which the accompanying 'drawings form a part.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is an elevation of one form of drum embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an axial section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 5 showing a side elevation of the toggle mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front elevation of the details shown in Fig. 4, a part thereof being broken away.

Fig. 6 is anenlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 showing the means for securing and independently adjusting the snares at one side of the drum.

F ig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a modified form of the means for independently adjusting the snares at one side of the drum.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modification of the toggle mechanism showing a portion of the drum in. section; and

Fig. 9 shows a front elevation of a modified form of the snare-adjusting mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the drum shell 11 has the two hoops 12 and 13 securing the `respective beater head 14 and the snare head 15.14 ring 17, which extends around the drum shell and is secured. thereto, has equally spaced projections 18 formed thereon, through which are holes or slots parallel with the axis of the drum. Internally screwthreaded sleeves 19, secured to the hoop 12, are engaged by the screws 20 which engage alternate projections on the ring 17. Each screw 2() has a shoulder abutting against its respective projection 18 on the ring 17 and has formed thereon a finger hold 2l by means of which the screws may be rotated to adjust the tension of the beater head 14. rlfhe intermediate projections on the ring are engaged by internally threaded sleeves 22 which project toward the snare head side of the drum and are threadedly engaged by studs 23, which coact with lugs 24 fixed on the hoop 13 and which carry finger holds 25 whereby said studs may be rotated to ad just the tension of the snare head 15. These parts are all fully described in my prior application above referred to and are here de scribed generally merely as a basis for showingpone adaptation of my improved snareadjusting mechanism, which will now be described.

The ring 17 is modified at onev point around its periphery, as indicated at 26, to provide an attachment for the ends of the snares. At this point there is a channel 27 bounded above by the wall 28 in which there is a series of radial slots 29. The inner wallV of the channel 27 has little sockets 30, and the outer wall has holes 31, through each of which entends a screw 32 with its end in the corresponding socket 30. Each screw 32 has a milled head 33 to be operated by the fingers, and carries an internally screw-threaded block 34 engaging the same, and from each of said blocks a stud35 projects through the adjacent'slot 29 andl has looped around it one bight of the snares 36. The ring 17 is recessed at 37 to permit the snares to pass through it, and the ring 13 on 'the snare head side of the drum has two opposite holes 38 through which the snares pass.

Opposite to the part Q6 of the ring 17, the latter carries a channel-shaped clip 39 attached by a screw 40. Vithin this clip, pivoted at 42, is a channel-shaped link 41 carrying a member 43 at its end on the pivot pin 44. This member 43 carries a sleeve 45, through which passes a stem with a milled head 48 at one end and a screw-threaded portion 46 at the other end. rlhe collar 47 keeps the stem in the sleeve 45.

The ends ot the snares are gripped between the clamping members 49 and 50, which are united by screws 5l, the memthe preceding forms those members converge radially inward toward the center ot the drum. rEhe advantages of this form are that the parts do not project outwardly from the drum surface and that there is less friction on the snares. The studs of screws bers 49 carrying the screw-threaded sechster-35(rL may be arranged t0 Carry 'roller-S 58 to receive such screws. The clamping member 50 has a screw-threaded hole therethrough at 53 which is engaged by the screw 46.

By means of the milled heads 33 any pair of snares can have its tension adjusted independently oit' the others, and since the two snares of a single pair consist of a single catgut, or other strand, looped once around the corresponding stud 35, it will be seen that these two strands or" catgut, or the like, will naturally have substantially equal tension. Hence by adjusting the milled heads 33 all the snares can be brought to have the same tension. By adjusting the milled head 48 all the snares will have their tension varied simultaneously alike.

`iti/Then it is desired to muli'ie the drum or toV produce the tom-tom eiiect the milled head 48 is simply pushed in a direction radially outward, which breaks the toggle formed by the member 41 and the members 43-45. Whenever it is desired to restore the snares to their normal functional condition, the milled head 48 is pushed in radially and the parts, acting as a toggle joint, put the snares on a tension again. lt will be seen therefore that the adjustable connecting means operated bythe head 48 constitutes a toggle joint by means of which the snares may be instantly strained or relaxed.

The means for straining the snares may be constructed quite independently of the ring 17, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this case the member 26 corresponds to the part 26 shown in Fig. 2, butthe member 26 is attached directly to the drum shell 11 by means ot two screws 55. The member 26 carries the same mechanism for adjusting the tension ot the snares in pairs that has already been. described. rI he toggle joint mechanism can be attached to the hoop l2, as shown in Fig. 8, or it maybe attached to the drum shell l1.

Another means :tor straining the snares constructed independently of the ring 17 is shown in Fig. 9, in which the member 26a corresponds to the member 26 in Fig. 7, and is attached to the drum shell by screws 56, which engage flanges 57 at the ends ot the member. The member 26a carries substantially the same mechanism for adjusting the tension of the snares in pairs as in the preceding forms, but the flanges 57 are so arranged that the member 26a lies flat on the drum shell with the slots Q9 and screws 32V converging radially downward toward the Snare head, side oi? the drum, while ia around which the snares are looped, thus permitting a more ready adjustment of the two snares formed by a single strand relative to each other. in each torni of device for attaching the snares tothe drum and adjusting them independently of each other, the studs or screws are radially'disposed, that is, they converge radially in the general direction of a common center.

It will be seen from the foregoing description. that l have provided means whereby the snares of snare drums can be adjusted separately at one end so as to get them all in substantially the same tension, but at the other end they can be strained simultane ously and alike by a single adjustment. Furthermore, at one end they can be instantly strained or released, according as it is desired to have the snare effect or the tomtom effect. Y

I have described in. detail one embodiment oit" the means whereby the above results are accomplished, but it is obvious that my invention is not limited to the particular form of parts here described, and I do not wish to be restricted in the scope ot' my invention, except as defined by the appended claims.

l claim:

l. ln a snare drum, a series of screws mounted on one side ot the drum, internally screw-threaded blocks on said screws, and snares connected to said blocks, whereby the snares can be separately strained.

2. .in a snare drum, an attachment tor the ends ot' the snares on one side ot the drum with means for adjusting the snares sepa- -rately,.a clamp engaging all the snares alike on the other side of the drum, and a toggle j oint connecting said clamp to the shell of theV drum, whereby the snares may instantly be strained alike or relaxed.

3. In a snare drum, an attachment for the ends ot the snares on one side of the drum with means for adjusting the snares sepa` rately, a clamp engaging all the snares alike on the other side oi the drum, and a toggle joint connecting said clamp to the shell of the drum, whereby the snares may instantly be strained. alike or relaxed, one member of said toggle joint having screw-threaded engagement with said clamp, whereby the strain. of the snares may also be adjusted gradually as desired.

4. ln a snare drum, a member attached to one side ot' the drum having bearings for a series of radially disposed screws, screws in said bearings with milled heads on their outer ends, internally screw-threaded blocks on said screws, each block carrying a stud, and snares looped on said studs whereby the snares may be strained separately.

5. In a snare drum, a shell, a ring around the same, said ring having bearings on one side, radially disposed screws in said bearings, internally screw-threaded blocks on said screws, snares engaging said blocks, and toggle mechanism pivoted on the opposite side of said ring and engaging the opposite ends of the snares.

6. In a snare drum, a shell, a ring around the same, said ring having bearings on one side, radially disposed screws in said bearings, internally screw-threaded blocks on said screws, snares engaging said blocks, and toggle mechanism pivoted on the opposite side of said ring and engaging the opposite ends of the snares, said toggle mechanism comprising a screw by which the snares may be strained equally and alike.

'7. In a snare drum, a member attached to one side of the drum having bearings for a series of radially disposed screws, screws in said bearings with milled heads on their outer ends, internally screw threaded blocks on said screws, each block carrying a. stud,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents eachL by addressing the each stud having journaled thereon a roller and snares looped around said rollers, whereby the snares may be strained separately.

8. In a snare drum a series of screws mounted on one side of the drum, internally screw-threaded blocks on said screws, each block carrying a roller and snares looped around said rollers, whereby the snares can be separately strained.

9. In a snare drum, a channel-shaped clip attached to one side of the drum, a link pivoted on said clip between the opposite flanges thereof, ay bearing member pivotally connected to the opposite end of said link and extending outwardly therefrom, a stem rotatably mounted in said bearing member and having an enlarged head, the end of said stem opposite said head being threaded, and a clamping member attached to the snares of said drum and threadedly engaged by said stem.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

TOM WILSON.

Witnesses:

GLEN E. SMITH, HENRY A. PARKS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C. 

